....Fwaaah!
A light that engulfed his entire body.
The spinning blessing of the Random God, felt through every inch of his being.
His stomach began to churn.
'Ugh…'
But now was not the time to throw up.
Kim Jangcheol instinctively understood that.
This sensation, this urge to retch and spew everything out—how well one endures it determines the perfection of the disguise.
'...This feeling, it must be right, right?'
Though honestly, it might not be.
Maybe even if he threw up cleanly, it wouldn't affect the disguise result at all.
But that's how feelings are.
Or perhaps that's how instincts work.
'Let's just try to endure it for now.'
Kim Jangcheol grimaced. And barely managed to suppress his overturning stomach.
In the meantime, the light that dyed his whole body intensified. It felt as though his body had turned into the sun. If someone were to hold a full-body mirror to him right now, the reflected glare would probably blind them.
…...Fwaaaah!
Was this what it felt like to have every cell in the body rearranged? Or perhaps, like the villi in the esophagus and duodenum giving each other high-fives while breaking down?
A sensation of arms attaching to the head.
Legs undulating from the tongue in a wave of confusion.
Or, even a bizarre feeling of the butt wriggling from the back of his skull.
Only then did the light that had dyed his body begin to subside. Along with the sensation of his stomach flipping over.
Finally, the result of the disguise was revealed.
"...Hooah."
He let out the breath he had been holding.
All the strength drained from his body.
What kind of form had he transformed into?
Hopefully it wasn't too weird.
At the very least, he didn't want a look that would draw suspicion or a barrage of hostility in the human world.
He opened his eyes.
And the first thing he saw,
Was a system message that had popped up in the meantime.
[You have consumed the Elixir of Transformation.]
[The effect of the Elixir of Transformation is now applied.]
[Disguise is complete.]
[A penalty has been applied due to the disguise.]
[While disguised with the Elixir of Transformation, functions related to Happy Points cannot be used.]
[Happy Point accumulation status notifications have been disabled.]
"......"
What the.
Alright.
He got it.
Well, it's not like he'd need to use Happy Points in the human world anyway.
Kim Jangcheol dismissed the message window.
And beyond it, he saw the others.
He asked them,
"How do I look?"
At just the right moment, Zephyros and the Three Heavenly Kings(?) were staring intently his way.
Their eyes wide open.
Were they surprised? Or horrified?
"I said, how do I look?"
He asked again.
He was curious.
Should've brought a mirror, he thought, as the idea slowly crept up on him. Then, Zephyros suddenly snapped out of his daze and replied.
"Uh, not much… you haven't changed that much?"
"Eh?"
What was that supposed to mean?
"Just, you still look almost exactly like you did before?"
"R-really?"
"Yes, my lord. It's just that…"
"Just what?"
"Your horns are gone."
"....."
At his words, Kim Jangcheol immediately reached for his head. And sure enough, they were gone. The sharp, heavy horns that used to protrude from both sides of his head had truly disappeared.
"Oh, I guess sleeping will be a bit more comfortable now. Those horns always got in the way whenever I lay on my side."
"......"
"What. What now? Why are you all looking at me like that again."
"Um, my lord? Actually…"
"Yeah, actually?"
"Your skin color changed a bit."
"Huh? My skin color?"
"Yes."
"How?"
Kim Jangcheol furrowed his brow slightly.
What was the big deal about his skin tone changing a little?
…So he thought, until—
"It's turned purple….."
"....."
Kim Jangcheol suddenly looked down at his own hand.
And saw it.
The back of his hand had turned the purplish hue of grape juice.
"....Oh."
That was a little odd.
"So, shall I take the elixir again?"
"....No."
"Are you sure that's okay?"
"Well, just because my skin is purple doesn't mean people will scream, 'Aaargh, a demon!' the moment they see me, right?"
"It's… quite, actually, scary enough for that, my lord."
"...Tsk."
Kim Jangcheol shut his eyes tight.
Everything else was fine, but why did it have to be purple skin?
What was he, some kind of alien?
Honestly, he wanted to take the elixir again immediately. But he held back. There were only nine left now. He needed to conserve them.
So instead,
He barely managed to come up with an alternative(?) or perhaps just a decent excuse.
"Whew, alright, here's what we'll do."
"What do you mean?"
"I'll just say I fell off a persimmon tree after taking some bad tonic as a kid, and that's how this happened."
"......."
"I'm telling you, that'll do the trick."
Shamelessly insisting, Kim Jangcheol looked around at everyone and asked,
"Alright then. Who's next?"
"...I'll take it."
The second one to step forward was Zephyros.
Without much hesitation, he gulped down the Elixir of Transformation.
"Want some water?"
"......."
Zephyros shook his head.
Right after, his entire body was wrapped in a radiant light.
That moment, a piece of advice he should have given suddenly came to mind. That he'd feel nauseous. That his insides would flip. That it was probably best to hold it in.
"........"
Would he be okay?
While he worried, the light around Zephyros faded. And his new form, bestowed by the Random God of blessing, appeared.
He looked almost the same as usual, but with his horns gone and his skin transformed to a clearer, more fresh complexion.
"......How do I look?"
"Oh, quite splendid."
"Looks like the horns have disappeared. And the skin tone's become more like that of the people of the human world."
"Yeah. Arms and legs are all in the right place too."
"That's quite a relief. Seems I won't have to walk around with some desperate excuse like someone."
"......."
"My lord?"
"Yeah."
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
"I'm thinking of stuffing another elixir down your throat."
"You mustn't. We only have eight left now."
"......."
"By the way, my lord?"
"Oh, what?"
"This elixir, if this is the actual extent of its transformation ability, then it's honestly just right and perfect, don't you think?"
"Yeah. I was worried I'd randomly turn into some bizarre, unheard-of race or something."
"And what were you planning to do if that happened?"
"What do you think? I'd have to abandon them and run."
"......."
"Anyway, next. Who's up?"
"Heh heh heh, I'll give it a try."
Asurat stepped forward with a confident smile. He stared briefly at the elixir in his palm, then brought it to his mouth.
Gulp!
"Ugh! Aaaaa…!"
Asurat couldn't quite hold back the retching. The moment his face scrunched up, a radiant light enveloped his entire body.
Fwaaaah, clank clank, wobble wobble, aaaagh, and finally, the light subsided.
And what was revealed was....
"Squaaawk?"
"......."
A giant pelican, standing easily around five meters tall on its legs, had taken Asurat's place.
"Squawk? Cwaaak?"
"...Asurat?"
"Kwak? Kwak?"
Was he panicking?
Or maybe it was that his vocal cords had changed and he couldn't adapt. The giant pelican Asurat looked down at them with confused eyes, squawking wildly.
Then, he hastily began scratching letters on the ground with his foot.
— WHAT IS THIS!
"Yeah, that's the form you drew for your disguise."
— No, seriously, why!
"What do you mean why? You drank the Elixir of Transformation?"
— L-like this! I'll definitely be suspected…!
"You won't be."
— Huh?
"At the very least, you won't be mistaken for someone from the demon race, right?"
— .....
"You can just say you're a suspiciously large pelican. Isn't that great? Who would question that? 'Ah, just a pelican that ate well and grew big,' they'll think. Don't you agree?"
— No, that's not the issue!
"Not the issue? Then what?"
— Give me another chance!
"Nope. Back in line."
— W-why not!
"We have to conserve the elixirs."
— …Kwak!
Tears welled up in Asurat's eyes.
And then Sirgi fired a sharp jab at him.
"Tsk. A pathetic and pitiful pelican. A fitting result for the shameful bottom-rung of the Four Heavenly Kings."
— What!
"I'm saying stop whining and accept the results."
— You! You've said enough!
"I've said it all. Now move. Baal and I are still left. Baal?"
"Baal! It's my turn! So excited!"
Baal, who had been eagerly waiting, quickly took the elixir and gulped it down.
Then he shouted,
"Tasty! Sweet and sour!"
"......"
What kind of taste buds does he have to call that thing tasty? Seriously, what kind of form will he take?
While the others wondered, the light surrounding Baal faded. And… a suspiciously radiant, handsome flower-boy emerged.
"Baal! Became pretty!"
"....."
No one could argue with that outburst.
At least, in terms of the face, that was certainly true.
"Hey, Baal?"
"Huh?"
"Please don't growl like that with that face."
"Anyway, Baal! How do I look!"
"How do I look!"
"Yeah, you're pretty. Though that pointy nose is a bit much."
"Pointy nose?"
"Yeah."
It was true.
To be precise, Baal's transformed appearance could best be described as… like a 90s shoujo manga protagonist, or perhaps the style of Oscar from The Rose of Versailles.
"....."
A painfully sharp, stylized nose bridge.
Sparkling eyes that doubled the discomfort.
Even a suspicious, ethereal flower background floating around his head!
But there was one problem.
"The face style(?) is one thing… but why is your body like that?"
"Kwooh?"
"I mean, your build is just…"
It was wild.
The muscles were rippling.
To be honest…
"Your muscles have gotten even bigger than before."
Unable to bear it, Sirgi asked with a serious face. Baal, clueless, puffed a sigh through his pointy nose.
"Baal! Doesn't know!"
"...."
Yeah.
Of course he doesn't.
Neither do I.
Let's stop thinking about it.
If I dwell on it any longer, my brain might short-circuit.
"Well, anyway, Baal does look a bit suspicious… but at least it's not a form that would get mistaken for someone from the demon race, so I'd say it's good enough."
"Still… don't you think people might look at us a bit funny?"
Zephyros asked.
"Well, what can we do? We'll just have to say he took some bad tonic as a kid, that's all."
"......."
"Alright then, Sirgi?"
"Yes, my Demon King. I am ready."
He handed the elixir to Sirgi, the last participant(?). She grimaced slightly at the elixir's usual slimy texture.
Then, she turned to Asurat and delivered an even sharper scoff and jab.
"You saw, didn't you? Like Baal, you just have to be satisfied with the result. Got it?"
— ...Shut up!
"Besides, from what I've observed, the transformation results from the Elixir of Transformation seem to reflect one's behavior and conduct. Don't you think?"
— Don't spout nonsense!
"Hmph. How pathetic, getting upset over an embarrassing result. Well then, keep your eyes peeled. Watch how fabulous my transformation will be."
Sirgi once again sneered at Asurat.
Then she swallowed the elixir in one gulp.
And Fwoosh.
Brighter than ever before, a radiant light engulfed the confident Sirgi's entire body.
***
"Whew. The sun's brutal today. Brutal, I tell you."
Several days later.
The border of the Kingdom of Magna.
The boundary with the abandoned lands.
On the watchtower of Magrat, a fortress city built on a barren isthmus.
A veteran guard grumbled to himself.
The weather was scorching hot. Yet the armor and helmet he had to wear were unbearably stuffy and heavy.
So the complaints flowed naturally.
"Hey, can you believe this? Huh? Just because the demon army invaded here recently, does that mean we've gotta be fully geared up with armor and helmets while standing watch in this heat? Really?"
"...But, it's an order from higher up, so there's nothing we can do."
The rookie guard wiped the sweat from his brow as he replied.
The senior soldier kept griping.
"Tsk, the commanders, that's always the problem. It's never them sweating it out. Don't they realize the heat and sweat make it harder to concentrate and just sap our stamina? Huh?"
"........"
"Whew. So, what's on the menu tonight? Since the bridge got fixed yesterday, we should start getting food actually worth eating now. Don't you think?"
"......"
"Hey? You're not gonna answer?"
"...Hold on a sec. Over there, something's… approaching."
"What?"
The veteran guard was startled.
At some point, the rookie had been staring hard toward the northwest through his telescope.
"Is it… another army?"
"Ah, I don't think so."
"Then what?"
"It looks like just a small group, but…"
"But?"
"The members are kinda… unusual and suspicious?"
"How so?"
The veteran soldier tensed.
A group approaching from the northwest, at a time like this? Could they be spies from the demon race? Or perhaps exiles driven out beyond the borders?
But what the rookie said next was completely outside his expectations.
"Um… well… there's one regular-looking person… one whose skin tone is like dark grape juice… one muscular guy who has a bunch of flowers floating around his face… a waddling giant pelican… and uh, also…"
"And?"
"…an alpaca pulling a cart, with eyes that look suspiciously sleepy and a face that seems like it's seen everything in life?"
[T/L: I am not getting any support from webnovel platform, so please support me and read ahead chapters on my ko-fi page "RevengerScans" : https://ko-fi.com/revengerscans ]